China's V-Day military parade draws attention

On June 23, the Chinese government officially announced a grand military parade would be held on September 3 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It will be China’s first military parade to mark its V-Day. Representatives of foreign armies are invited to participate in the parade for the first time.

By holding this parade, China shows the importance to the international community of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War and the contribution made by the Chinese people to the final victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Over the years, European countries have been continuously launching various commemorative activities for victory on the European battlefield in World War II. People are thus familiar with the contributions made by European countries and the United States in fighting fascist aggressors and claiming victory in the war. However, not enough attention is paid to the contribution made by the Chinese people to secure victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, and some even ignore such contributions in various ways.

In fact, there were three major battlefields in World War II: Europe, the Middle East/North Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

In the Asia-Pacific, the Chinese people made a significant contribution. The September 18th Incident in Shenyang, Northeast China in 1931 marks the beginning of the Chinese anti-Japanese war. The July 7th Incident in Beijing in 1937 marks the full-scale Chinese anti-Japanese war, indicating the Asia-Pacific was involved in World War II. On September 1, 1939, the German army under the leadership of Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, pushing Europe into World War II.

It is obvious that China was the first battlefield of World War II. Chinese people took the lead in fighting fascist aggressors and the Chinese nation fought fascist aggressors the longest time. China not only destroyed continuously Japanese fascist aggressors, but also diverted the Japanese fascist aggressors, effectively supporting the campaign against the fascist German army in the European battlefield. The strategic position of the China battlefield and the contributions made by the Chinese people in the final victory of the anti-fascist war should receive fair treatment.

Generally speaking, the impact of a large parade is matched by no other activity. Almost all countries worldwide hold parades at important festivals. Since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, most large parades have been held on National Day. This coming V-Day military parade shows that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese War and the World Anti-Fascist War.

China won the anti-Japanese war, indicating that the Chinese nation had achieved victory in an anti-invasion war for the first time in a century and wiping out the humiliation of China known as "the Sick Man of East Asia.”

This parade is also the best method of national defense education for the nation's people. With this parade, people will be warned to be vigilant in peacetime and their crisis awareness will be enhanced.

At the same time, this parade will not only tell descendants of the Chinese nation to know how their nation stood up, but also warn them to stand firmly in future so as to win and safeguard the dignity of the nation.

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